With inspiration that blends a haunted
attraction and a laser-tag challenge, Area 2200 at Arnold's
Family Fun Center is wholly unique.

First off, the setting has an absolutely
legit feel to it. With good reason.

Lorin Richter, Sales and Marketing Manager,
says that the experience was purposefully worked into a space that came with its
own fairly high creepy factor.

It's in the former locker room used by BF
Goodrich workers when the site was a tire manufacturing plant.

"We had the lockers, the bathroom, the showers, the yellow
tiles on the walls and floor and even the elevator. We also had the staircases,
which let us introduce a sense of being disoriented," Richter says. "We used to
use the space as a temporary haunt using live actors, just for the month of
October. But now, we've created a much more interactive experience with
animatronics and everything."

According to Richter, when the installers came onsite, they
marveled at the atmosphere already in place.

"They saw the space and said, ‘Do not remove a thing. What
you have, other people pay top dollar for, the lockers, the bathrooms and even
the dirt.'" Richter says.

She cites attractions like Disney's Haunted Mansion, where
monthly "maintenance" includes replacing much of the dust and cobwebs that are
tracked out by guests. Area 2200 needs no such sprucing up.

Or down, as it were.

The other distinguishing factor is the backstory, which,
Richter describes is "...part of the preshow."

The Oaks Toy Factory is supposedly a state-of-the-art
manufacturing plant offering the latest in bio-animatronics. This platform
proves perfect for the evil plans of Dr. Doomore, who sabotages the operation.
He sets loose not only toys bent on destruction but also a crew of former staff
members turned into zombies.

Guests are pressed into service to help save the plant and,
beyond that, the world at large. The ghouls on the loose are outfitted with
small sensors that, when hit, register a kill. But this is no mere shooting
gallery; here, the creatures bite back.

Scores are determined by the number of undead disposed of,
versus the number of times a player is bitten and the number of shots taken.

Authenticity in gameplay was important to Richter and her
crew. "We were pleased with the feel of the guns," Richter says. "They're real
and they're heavy. It's not like the old-fashioned laser tag, which uses those
plastic, Jetsons-style weapons."

Area 2200 has already solidified itself for group play.

"We get a lot of bachelor parties, guys' nights out, things
like that," Richter says. "The scoring aspect makes it great for team-building.

"We recently had a group in from IBM, and they were all
executive tech people. They never had so much fun. They came in all buttoned
up, but by the end, the ties were loosened, they were sweating and they wanted
to go again."

The effects are imaginative and startling. Appropriate ages
are teens and adults; children under 10 may find the attraction a little too intense.

In fact, even some of the staff find it unsettling.

"We get the most reaction to the clowns," Richter comments.
"A lot of people have an aversion toward them.

Author: Dan Weckerly - VFTCB Communications Manager

Dan Weckerly, VFTCB Communications Manager, has lived in Montgomery
County since 1988 but is still discovering its many treasures, which
provides the basis for The Pursuit. He is well-traveled across
the U.S. and even lived in London, but more commonly shares his
household with a wife of more than 25 years, three daughters and a boisterous
Labrador Retriever.